Abstract
The evidence for physical activity (PA) as a key component of physical and mental health is compelling, yet large proportions of adults are less physically active than current public health guidelines recommend. Throughout the life course, there are major life transitions that are associated with changes to routines, habits, and behaviours, often including PA participation, which may in turn have health implications. Parenthood is one such transition that has been identified as a critical transformative experience and inflection point for obesity (Saxbe et al. ,2018, American Psychologist, 73(9), 1190-1200). As such, the aims of this study were to examine the effects of parental status on adherence to public health PA guidelines, including recommendations for aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening activity. With ethical approval, a sample of 9,987 adults (≥ 16 years) were identified from the cross-sectional and nationally representative 2015-2018 Scottish Health Survey. Participants were categorised as parents or non-parents depending on their relationship status with other members of their household. A secondary analysis was conducted using statistical modelling approaches to assess the magnitude of effect of explanatory factors, including parental status; sex; age; marital status; and those which describe socio-economic position (i.e., education, deprivation, employment, and income). Descriptive crosstabulations of health survey responding adults stratified by adherence to PA guidelines were generated. Inferential statistics were calculated using binary and multinomial logistic regression analyses examining the associations between health survey responding adults’ parental status and adherence to PA guidelines, adjusted for covariates. Parents were more likely to meet PA guidelines than non-parents (OR = 1.05, 95% CI 0.89 – 1.23), particularly the aerobic activity recommendation (OR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.08 – 1.55). Females were less likely to meet PA guidelines than males (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.62 - 0.78). Adherence to guidelines declined with age, which corresponded with increased very low activity levels. Adults living as married were less likely to meet PA guidelines than those living as single (OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.78 – 0.94). Adherence to PA guidelines declined with ordered categorical variables describing socio-economic position. Those living in the west of Scotland were less likely to meet PA guidelines than those living in the rest of the country (OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.84 – 0.99). This study provides evidence contrasting previous literature finding that parents are more likely to meet public health PA guidelines than non-parents. Future research should clarify this relationship through longitudinal investigation using objective measures.
Original language | English |
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Publication status | Published - 7 Apr 2021 |
Event | British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Student Conference 2021 - Solent University, Southampton, United Kingdom Duration: 7 Apr 2021 → 8 Apr 2021 |
Conference
Conference | British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Student Conference 2021 |
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Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
City | Southampton |
Period | 7/04/21 → 8/04/21 |